INDIANAPOLIS − The 2026 NFL scouting combine is a wrap. Incoming pro prospects have been poked and prodded – mentally and physically – run their 40-yard dashes (some of them, anyway) and continued building (or maybe hurting) their cases as to why they should get job offers (maybe lucrative ones) when the NFL draft rolls around next month.
But a lot more goes on Indy, where teams convene regarding potential trades and convene with agents regarding contract extensions, franchise tags … and maybe even things they’re not really supposed to broach until March 9, when the negotiating window opens for pending free agents to begin talking to other clubs.
So much to sift through, but here are (among the) 32 things we learned from this year’s combine:
1. As in the No. 1 player in the 2026 NFL Draft – and, for my money (and many others’) – that would be Notre Dame RB Jeremiyah Love. His maturity and a self-deprecating sense of humor seemed fairly evident while meeting with media members Feb. 27. His jaw-dropping talent is quite evident on film and was again during his combine testing over the weekend – and give him points for participating when he clearly had little to prove. Love was frequently landing in the back half of the top 10 in many pre-combine mock drafts − don’t expect him to last that long, the likes of the Kansas City Chiefs likely needing to deal up if they want him. (And Love went No. 4 to the Tennessee Titans in my freshly baked post-combine mock draft.) Love did so well in Indy that he’s probably not going to do anything at his pro day other than attend it.
2. As in the No. 2 running back in the 2026 NFL draft – and that just might be Love’s former Fighting Irish teammate, Jadarian Price. Expect him to land a bigger role in the NFL and quite possibly be the only other back taken in Round 1. Price certainly put on a show over the weekend during combine drills and should be an asset − not only on offense but also special teams as a kickoff returner.
3. As in, realistically, the number of quarterbacks battling to be third off the board at the position after Alabama’s Ty Simpson seemed to solidify his perceived standing as the second-best slinger in this draft after throwing on Saturday afternoon. But Penn State’s Drew Allar, Carson Beck of Miami (Fla.) and LSU’s Garrett Nussmeier could all conceivably hear their names called by the end of the draft’s second day – and none will likely feel much pressure to be immediate starters as pros, an approach that should also be taken with Simpson and all of his 15 college starts.
4. As in the number of Heisman Trophy winners the Raiders have drafted during their existence: Marcus Allen (1982), Bo Jackson (1987), Tim Brown (1988) and Charles Woodson (1998) – all but Jackson now Hall of Famers.
5. As in the fifth Heisman Trophy winner the Raiders will soon be taking, when they officially choose Indiana QB Fernando Mendoza to kick off the draft on April 23.
6. Of course, Mendoza is officially unofficial as the future QB1 of the Silver and Black. But if there’s any doubt, just listen to New York Jets GM Darren Mougey, who holds the No. 2 pick of the draft and has no franchise quarterback – or even an apparent starter for 2026 at present.
“I talk to (Raiders GM John) Spytek and those guys often, as I do with other teams, talk about moving up, moving back. Absolutely, we’ll talk about all those things, but I don’t think that’s happening,” Mougey said to chuckling media members last week. “You can ask Spytek, though.”
7. The number of positional groups that collectively set combine records for average 40-yard dash times – at least since 2003 – quarterbacks being the lone exception, and their times were the second fastest in the history of their position.
8. But don’t blame former Arkansas QB Taylen Green, whose 4.36 40 put him in the company of none other than position record holder Michael Vick (4.33).
9. However Green did set new quarterback testing records with a 43½-inch vertical leap and an 11-foot, 2-inch broad jump. The raw athleticism should help get him drafted, though – to Green’s credit – he has no interest in a positional switch and wants to make his NFL name as a passer. At least right now, anyway.
10. The number of head coaching changes since the end of the 2025 season. Good luck, fellas – NFL as “not for long” has probably never been more true.
11. That level of change may also be incentivizing some teams to skip combine attendance en masse. Said Houston Texans GM Nick Caserio: “I think when you look at the league, there’s 10 new head coaches. Separate from that, there’s another 10 to 12 coordinators that have turned over. So, you’re talking about massive coaching turnover. This is probably a good opportunity for those teams to spend together as a staff and go through self-scout, look at the team, what happened this year, who are the players coming back. So, it’s all about resources and time allocation.”
12. Yet, notably, the Los Angeles Rams, a perennial playoff contender, once again didn’t send their top decision-makers to Indy. Coach Sean McVay hasn’t been since 2020 – right before the COVID-19 pandemic shut down most of the world.
13. The AFC South champion Jacksonville Jaguars seem to be following the Rams’ lead – maybe not a surprise given GM James Gladstone and coach Liam Coen both used to work for the Rams.
14. Speaking of the AFC South – and Caserio – the Houston GM deemed (baseless?) trade speculation regarding Texans QB C.J. Stroud as “moronic” despite his subpar showing in the playoffs. Keep it a buck, Caserio.
15. Very good chance Baltimore Ravens C Tyler Linderbaum gets the most lucrative contract when free agency begins next week. GM Eric DeCosta said he made the three-time Pro Bowler a “market-setting offer” though probably won’t use the franchise tag on Linderbaum – logical given that tag’s value is largely determined by the contracts of richly paid left tackles.
16. Dallas Cowboys WR George Pickens, arguably the best unsigned player in 2026, did get hit with the franchise tag. The questions now are, will owner Jerry Jones pay Pickens, trade Pickens … or mayhaps have to fend off a team with the guts to sign Pickens to an offer sheet? Stay. Tuned.
17. Jets coach Aaron Glenn revealed that defensive play-calling is his “superpower.” Contextually, of the last five defenses Glenn has been affiliated with, three have been ranked 25th or worse and none have been better than 19th overall. Reminder that the Jets are the color of Kryptonite.
18. With Mike Tomlin, John Harbaugh and Kevin Stefanski all gone, Cincinnati Bengals coach Zac Taylor is now the dean of the AFC North.
‘You know, I’ve got a lot of respect for those three guys I’ve been competing against the last few years, and obviously great coaches and (they) have had a lot of success. So, it’s a little strange but I’m sure that I’ll get used to it very quickly,” said Taylor. ‘We’ve got continuity. We’ve got to capitalize on that and continue to build and move forward.’
19. Why are the New England Patriots a logical potential landing spot if the Philadelphia Eagles trade WR A.J. Brown? Consider what Pats coach Mike Vrabel, who had AJB with the Tennessee Titans, said about him:
“I’ve watched him grow. I’ve watched him mature. I’m proud of him, proud of the father that he is. I’m proud of the husband,’ said Vrabel. ‘That has nothing to do with where he plays or where he played. Those are the things that are important. We reach out and text each other during the good things that happen to each other.”
Hmmm…
20+(?). The number of veteran quarterbacks who could be on the move based on what you hear and see going on at the combine. That (non-exhaustive, alphabetical) list could include: Tyson Bagent, Kirk Cousins, Andy Dalton, Justin Fields, Jimmy Garoppolo, Daniel Jones, Mac Jones, Marcus Mariota, Tanner McKee, Davis Mills, Kyler Murray, Spencer Rattler, Anthony Richardson, Aaron Rodgers, Geno Smith, Jarrett Stidham, Tua Tagovailoa, Tyrod Taylor, Malik Willis and Russell Wilson.
21. Willis and Daniel Jones could be vying for the biggest payouts in 2026 even though Willis was a backup the past two seasons for the Green Bay Packers and owns all of six career NFL starts. “(A)ny team that is potentially in a needy quarterback situation,” said new Dolphins GM Jon-Eric Sullivan, who previously worked for the Pack, “if they tell you they’re not talking about Malik Willis, that would be a lie.”
22. How much and how quickly has college football evolved during the NIL era? Texas Tech sent a program record eight players to Indy coming off their first Big 12 championship.
23. And they were largely captivating fellas – OLB David Bailey maybe the best of the bunch, DT Lee Hunter perhaps the most engaging, and LB Jacob Rodriguez arguably featuring the best personal story. Keep an eye on all three – none likely to get out of the draft’s second round. At worst.
24. NIL was also a very popular topic at the combine given its profound impact on NFL player evals. We’ll have more on that in the coming days, so check back.
25. “Have you met with the Bucs?” If you were on the ground in Indy, it felt like every prospect, save maybe Mendoza, got this question from a vigilant group of Tampa Bay media members.
26. Best nickname at the combine? How about Iowa State DL Domonique Orange, aka “Big Citrus.”
27. Breakout star of the combine? Maybe Iowa OL Gennings Dunker, who’s received more attention for his spectacular mullet and distinctive nutrition plan than for the talent that could make him an NFL starter as a rookie.
28. The key to winning the Super Bowl? Lotta folks seem to think it’s getting a version of multi-talented, uniquely gifted Seattle Seahawks DB Nick Emmanwori. Good luck with that.
29. You might have more luck getting Seahawks RB Kenneth Walker III – currently anyway, though his contract is about to expire – who seems to be about Priority four or five on Seattle’s offseason to-do list.
30. How about those Styles brothers? No siblings have ever wrecked the combine like these Buckeyes.
30a. And how about the Lance brothers? Rooting for the engaging Bryce to surpass older bro Trey, a fellow North Dakota State product, as an NFL player.
31. Props to Texas A&M WR KC Concepcion for shaming the bullies and standing up for others who battle a speech impediment – which very likely won’t impede Concepcion from hearing his name called as early as Round 1 of the draft.
32. As in the number of inches – at the very least – a lineman wants his arm length to measure at the combine.
32a. Thank you – again – to Indianapolis, the perfect host city for the combine. Convenient. Classy. Welcoming. Good food. Good people. Always a place to hang your hat for a few days while covering a relentlessly fast-paced event, one most of us hope will never be commandeered by Los Angeles or elsewhere.
This post appeared first on USA TODAY
